Posted on February 03, 2016 at 10:17 AM

Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, today announced the launch of a campaign to build support in the state House Judiciary Committee to approve HJR 12, the Open Primary Elections Constitutional Amendment. This bill will give all voters in New Mexico equal participation and say in their elections, bring competition back to electoral races and offer New Mexico’s citizens the functioning government they so desperately want. The group has established an educational web portal that includes a petition tool to encourage New Mexicans to take action by expressing their support for the bill to their legislator.

"As a registered independent and as a spokesperson for the 250,000 New Mexico independents excluded from our most important election, the primary, I would ask members of both parties in the legislature to look carefully at this bill and listen to the expert testimony in the coming days,” said Bob Perls, founder of New Mexico Open Primaries.

Posted on January 27, 2016 at 9:38 AM

Phoenix, AZ – January 27, 2016 – Today Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, released the second installment of an independent survey revealing that Arizona Latinos overwhelmingly support primary election reform, favor candidates who support open primaries and would be far more likely to vote if elections were nonpartisan and allowed all voters to participate in all rounds of voting.

The survey found that Latino voters feel elected officials in Arizona are failing to represent their community and their disillusionment with both Republicans and Democrats has Latinos – the fastest growing population in the state – calling for change and turning toward independence. In Arizona, 41% of Latinos are independent, a trend that is accelerating, and 63% of Arizona Latinos and 77% of millennials (18-34) believe Latinos should register as Independents so that the community is not tied to one party or the other.

Posted on January 13, 2016 at 10:15 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2016

CONTACT

Drew Sexton

(602) 738-1187

dsexton@azhighground.com

PHOENIX — Arizonans across the political spectrum are fed up with the state of our government. Almost two-thirds of voters believe the State Legislature has the wrong priorities and that there is too much partisan conflict in the Arizona State Capitol. Now, there is finally cause for hope that together we can change the system and make it work for the people of Arizona

Two committees were filed yesterday with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office to support two constitutional amendments to promote fairness and transparency in Arizona candidate elections. The committees will be spearheaded by the Open and Honest Elections coalition which is driven by the fundamental premise that Arizona voters have the right to know who is contributing large amounts of money to influence our elections and the right to participate equally in all elections.

Posted on December 15, 2015 at 9:00 AM

New York, NY – December 15, 2015 – Today Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, released the results of a statewide survey of Illinois voters that finds overwhelming discontent with the state’s political environment, notably following six straight months of posturing between the state’s newly elected Republican governor and its Democratic-controlled General Assembly that has left Illinois without a balanced budget. Survey participants indicated the Illinois “system is rigged by the parties in their favor.” The solution to alter this political culture they say is implementation of nonpartisan reforms such as a Top Two primary election that would prevent Illinois voters’ desire for fiscal responsibility from being overshadowed by narrow party agendas.

Posted on December 14, 2015 at 2:36 PM

Phoenix, AZ – December 14, 2015 - Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, released today a new independent survey that shines a harsh light on the disconnect between the real world attitudes of Latino voters in Arizona and the political system. Overwhelmingly, Latino voters feel elected officials in Arizona are failing to represent their community and their disillusionment with both Republicans and Democrats has Latinos calling for changes in the electoral system.

Posted on September 30, 2015 at 10:36 AM

Congress is Broken but Nebraska May Have the Answer

“The Myth of the Red State” ReportDetails the Long Term Successes of Nebraska’s Adoption of a Nonpartisan Election System

New York, NY- September 30, 2015 – Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, today released a new report examining the results of Nebraska’s adoption of a single, nonpartisan primary election system. The Myth of the Red State: Policy Over Party in the Nebraska State Capitol demonstrates that while Congress and many state legislatures have fallen prey to partisanship and dysfunction, the Nebraska political system is working.

Posted on August 04, 2015 at 10:34 AM

Groundbreaking Report Released on the Transformative Effects of Primary Reform

Open Primaries Details the Early Successes from California’s Adoption of a Top Two Nonpartisan Primary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEu1RICoEc4

New York, NY — August 4, 2015 — In 2010, voters in California enacted a “Top Two” nonpartisan primary system, allowing all voters-whether registered to a party or not- to participate in primary elections.

Open Primaries, a national leader on election reform, has released a new report outlining the deep and meaningful impact that this change has had on California politics.

A Quiet Revolution: The Early Success of California’s Top Two Nonpartisan Primary outlines the sea change in voter access and representation, competitive elections, and a new, more cooperative state legislature engaged in cross party dialogue.

The authors of the reform are Jason Olson, the President of Independentvoice.org, a San Francisco based organization of independent voters, and Dr. Omar Ali, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and expert scholar on populist democracy movements.

88 percent of voters polled support changing Philadelphia’s primary system to either an open primary system or to a Top Two system.

New York, NY – July 1, 2015 - Open Primaries, a national political reform organization, released today poll results showing Philadelphia voters’ overwhelming desire for an election system more focused on a candidate’s own positions, rather than political partisanship.

According to the polling conducted from May-June of 346 registered independent voters in metro Philadelphia, 73 percent of voters polled feel there are definitely flaws in Philadelphia’s closed primary system and an impressive 88 percent support changing the current system to either an open primary system or a Top Two, nonpartisan election system. Interestingly, 87 percent of the voters polled were already aware of Pennsylvania’s closed primary system. Complete results below.

Posted on June 30, 2015 at 9:55 AM

New York, NY – June 29, 2015 – Open Primaries, a national political reform organization, offered enthusiastic praise today for the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to uphold the constitutionality of the independent redistricting commission previously approved by voter referendum in Arizona. In support of this movement in Arizona, Open Primaries is launching a campaign to help independent voters further reform the electoral process in Arizona.

"This is a very significant decision, both for our democracy and for the growing political reform movement that was under attack by the Arizona State Legislature and reinforces the people’s ability to make and amend voting rules,” said John Opdycke, President of Open Primaries. “By upholding the constitutionality of the voter referendum, SCOTUS paved the way for the people of Arizona to implement further reforms – which our polling data illustrates is clearly the will of the people.”

Posted on June 05, 2015 at 3:36 PM

Allows all voters to cast a ballot in the primary for the candidate of their choice

Provides for a vote on a non-partisan plan to reform the redistricting process through the creation of independent redistricting commissions

Increases voter participation by treating Election Day as a federal holiday

New York, NY – June 05, 2015 – Open Primaries, a national political reform organization, announced today its partnership with Congressman John Delaney (MD-6) in reintroducing the Open Our Democracy Act, an election reform legislation allowing Congress to accurately reflect the interests of the American people. The bill targets three elements that are feeding polarization and gridlock in Congress: closed primary elections, gerrymandered Congressional districts, and low voter turnout.